New Delhi [India], August 2 : The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) has called out the BJP over the eligibility criteria and application process for the Delhi Lakshmi Yojana.
Raising objections to the scheme's conditions, AAP's Delhi unit chief Saurabh Bharadwaj emphasised that the Rekha Gupta Government has imposed a 10-year residency requirement to exclude Purvanchali women from its benefits, while also questioning the requirement for recommendation letters from MPs and MLAs as part of the application process, according to a press release.
The AAP Delhi State President pointed out that while the BJP seeks votes from everyone, it expects women to produce a 10-year residence certificate before extending the promised Rs 2,500 benefit.
He asserted that the residency condition, along with the Pink Card initiative, reflects the BJP's discriminatory approach towards Purvanchalis and women.
Addressing a press conference, senior AAP leader and Delhi State President Saurabh Bharadwaj said, "If someone wants to avail of widow pension, old age pension, disability pension, or any other government welfare scheme, there is no requirement for the signature of an MLA or an MP. The application is completely self-attested. People simply have to self-attest the form, upload it, and the pension is approved."
He continued, "So why should any woman have to go to the doorstep of an MLA or an MP to avail of the Delhi Lakshmi Yojana? CM Rekha Gupta should explain why she wants our sisters to run from pillar to post at the homes of MPs and MLAs before they can receive the benefits of the Delhi Lakshmi Yojana. She should clearly explain the objective behind this."
Questioning the scheme's eligibility criteria, he added, "I look at all the ministers in the BJP government. Rekha Gupta herself comes from Haryana and became the CM of Delhi. One minister has roots in Bihar, while others have come from different places and become ministers in Delhi. But under the Delhi Lakshmi Yojana, only a woman who has been living in Delhi for the last 10 years will be eligible for the benefit. Why is that? This rule never existed in Delhi before."
"Did the BJP ever tell voters during the election that only those who came to Delhi 10 years ago should vote for them? They want everyone's vote, including those who came to Delhi just a year ago. If they want votes from everyone, then why impose a 10-year residency condition for the Delhi Lakshmi Yojana? The truth is that this reflects their hatred and prejudice against Purvanchalis and the poor, which keeps surfacing time and again," the former Delhi minister asserted.
Criticising the government's Pink Card initiative, the AAP Delhi Chief said, "The Pink Card introduced for women is also a part of this same mindset. Women travelling on buses are easily identifiable, whether they are wearing a salwar suit, a saree, or jeans and a T-shirt. What is the need for a separate Pink Card? This has been done only to deprive our sisters coming to work in Delhi-NCR from Haryana, Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh, and Bihar of their rightful benefits."
"Women who have been living here for a few years but still have voter cards from their home states are good enough when the government wants their votes, but when it comes to extending benefits, the government wants to deny them their rights. That is why it first introduced the Pink Pass for free travel for women, and has now imposed a 10-year residency condition under the Delhi Lakshmi Yojana," concluded Saurabh Bharadwaj.